If I review three times, can I give them 15 stars? Seriously, these people are superhuman. We completely rehabbed our 2000 SSEi at a garage in WA and a year later, we started having problems. Motorworks found metal shavings in the oil, among other horrible things that should not have happened in an overhauled $15,000 job. And before you get on me about spending $15k on a Bonneville ... yeah, not the best decision, but I digress ... They took great care of Daisy and checked things we didn't expect just to make sure she was in good shape. They love superchargers, was the explanation. Well, here, take my supercharger then. Just keep doing what you're doing. We've since been back with our anti-climactic Ford Fusion and a flat tire, and still -- although undeniably not a supercharger -- took amazing care of Hypatia. Thorough, professional, passionate, affordable, friendly, knowledgeable ... everything you want and need in auto service! read more

They are professional & thorough with quality work. The customer service is excellent as well.

Motorworks has excellent customer service and full attention to detail. I appreciate doing business with them.

Service is always excellent. Comprehensive care for our car in a personable,professional manner. The cost is very appropriate for the service given and well worth it. read more

I had to get my car inspected to see if it was worth repairing. The staff was very kind, store was clean, and there was a cute dog to pet. Very reasonable prices, and they provide pictures and documented the damage. Highly recommend! read more

Have been going to this shop for over ten years. never a complaint and good prices too

I called on Thursday and Megan was able to get me in the next day for an oil change. Motor Works gives me a list of things for the future and how they need to be handled. I appreciate their honesty and they have kept my 13 year old car running great!! Go see them!! read more

If I could do zero I would. I work in a shop myself im not incompetent but my shop doesn't do the work I need. I went to get it checked for 2 things and I was told that I had more concerning issues. My car is old and has a lot of miles I know its got more issues but my main concern was movement in my axle and my U joints. I was told they saw leakage from the diff but no movement. I had them put it back on a lift because I have seen the movement myself and its not ok to leave that way. They said the movement was not concerning. And only wanted to tell me about the oil leak I have. I wont be coming back to the buisness they are a waste of time. Not to mention the price of parts is outrageous! U- joints at most cost $35 they were charging $110 they only want to proffit off of you no wonder their waiting room is so updated and nice. read more

I am very pleased with the service at Auto Works. The staff is knowledgeable and efficient. I would recommend them to anyone that needs automotive service. I appreciate their honesty as well as their skill. read more

Very straight forward. Quality work. Explains with pictures what going on and what is causing the problem. I will be back! Thank you so much I appreciate your business!!!! read more

Very accommodating! My vehicle broke down in town. I contacted my insurance for a tow was told it would be a hour. I called explained my situation with Megan. To confirm if they could fix my vehicle. Without any hesitation she said yes, asked how I was getting the vehicle there. At the same time I get updated message stating tow truck wouldn't be there until at least 2 - 2 1/2 hrs later. So, Megan was trying to get me a tow truck faster. Melissa is also a great asset for helping you/me. We worked that situation out. Then, she let me know what was wrong with my vehicle and the breakdown of the cost. Motor works always has pictures to show you, what's wrong and how to fix and what it will take. They fixed my vehicle and due to health issues, I wasn't able to pick up vehicle. But they were very gracious to give me a ride home and when I was ready to pick up my vehicle. They do offer to drop off vehicle, but I didn't take that offer. If you want someone and some place that's honest with you, PLEASE give them a try. You won't regret it. The only regret will be that you hadn't used them prior read more

Great company with great Customer service Thorough and detail oriented a little pricey but what isn't nowadays They are my go to and they stand by there work read more

They always do a great job with letting you know what's going on with your vehicle. With this covid 19 they make sure everyone is distanced from each other. read more

I recently spent more than $4k for MotorWorks to fix numerous engine issues on a 2002 vehicle, including the head gasket. Under two months and the head gasket is leaking. Took it in, as I was told they would honor the work warranty. They wanted more money from me to wash the engine and do an oil change. Doesn't take a rocket scientist... I put oil in and it literally leaks out of the head gasket (the one they said was fixed after taking my money). Nice people, but will never return to MotorWorks again. They don't stand by their repairs. Avoid them like the plague. read more

my car engine light was coming on and I took it to them. was told it would take a hour ended up taking longer than expected. had to call back again just to tell me the issues. told them didn't want the services because it was so costly. I get back up there just to be billed for a so called diagnostic test which added up To 162 in taxes. I could have at least got my filter changed I felt like they ripped me off. I YouTube to find what the problem was didn't need them to do that I'm flabbergasted read more

Ok so i had a bad experience with this place. at first it seemed like a great place, but it turned out to be bad. Ok so my car was having trouble with the steering and I brought it to the merlin, they said I needed a new power steering pump and that it would take a day to order and be really expensive. The price seemed way too steep and I brought my car here. It turns out that I did not need a new pump but 1 of the joints in the steering was bad. So I had it fixed which took a lot longer then they said. Anyway it seemed to work fine, but then I noticed a little while later the steering was acted weird again but in a different way, like pulling to one side then the other. I was not in dekalb anymore so I brought it to a place my parents like. well it turns out the steering rod they used was either the wrong part or not installed correctly and they would not let me drive with out it repaired since there was a possibility that I could turn the wheel but the car could go straight. Also, the bad repair damaged my steering gear, and the estimate for the total repair was $1000. read more

I haven't gotten my car fixed here yet.....saving up for it. I was referred by someone I work with, he said they will tell you like it is and not sugar coat things like other places do. I had them do a test drive and a general look over of my car and within 24hrs they told me what was wrong and cost. Mind you I went to another mechanic first in the area and had him look at my car fix a problem, still had an issue, took it back again me to fix other things. Finally Motor Works told me what the problem is and what they suggested totally made sense considering I know nothing about cars yet could tell something was wrong with my car. read more

Mark is a genius mechanic! Our 1971 VW Super Beetle was butchered by another shop and he saved it. He doesn't just "fix" problems, he solves them with creative solutions. He always takes the time to make improvements, like cleaning up messy and questionable wiring. His work on our carburetor was first class and ended up being the best parts of two different ones. Also his communication is outstanding. We got weekly phone calls with updates whenever he had the car to work on. Prices are a fraction of what we paid the hack shop. Couldn't be happier with the service and we drive over an hour to get it, along with the peace of mind. Thanks! read more

Be very careful with these people and get second opinions often. They will milk your car for many problems and keep suggesting repairs you either do not need or "fixes" that are not typical. The main concern with my experience is the fact that their customer service is non-existent when trying to communicate with them over the phone. Read Yelp reviews for a more accurate rating of this shop, they are not as favorable. If you have a quick repair or need an oil change, you can do worse than this place. If you have major or complicated problems, take your vehicle to a shop with more diagnostic experience. read more

Great place great prices and great people New to the area and saw a coupon in the local magazine so called and made an appointment * very polite on the phone * oil change took 30 minutes and only 13.95! * great service will definitely be back read more

Motor Works is great! They perform excellent work on several vehicles for our family. Just had an oil change and new tires put on yesterday. Very professional and a good local shop! Thank you Motor Works! read more

Extremely knowledgeable, friendly, very good at explaining things, courtesy pickup, reasonable rate, no charge for inspection/scan/look over. (Most places will charge you an hour of labor just to hook up a professional scanner.) They charge a solid 20 bucks for an oil change !!!!! This tripped me out, I've been spending a fortune on oil changes, wow. Everything they have quoted me has been far beyond reasonable. They made my truck run much better made some misc fixes and gave a very good rundown of what I may want to do to it. No persistent insisting on every kind of service they offer like some places, they are really about helping you and your vehicle. I have some automotive knowledge, and have overheard many of there conversations, and let me tell you, they know what they are talking about and they won't rip you off. Also, they are very entertaining to listen to, haha. Very sociable and fun. I dare you to find a better place to bring your car. Once again, I was very happy about the bill and got my better running truck back! Fantastic !!! THIS is the place to go. read more

I brought my car her for repairs and they have been so great with me and my family. Since the car needed quite a few repairs, they staggered the repairs so that absolutely necessary repairs to get the car running were completed first. They have been helpful and honest the entire way through and I appreciate that. read more

I gave 5 stars, only because giving ten was not an option. When i read the other reviews here, i was utterly amazed. I started to wonder if there was another motor works in Dekalb that these people had problems with. I thought this because my experience with Motor Works and every staff member i dealt with was unlike any i have ever had. Never in all my 57 years have i felt like a shop was more concerned with getting me home versus their bottom line. I was on a cross country trip from California to New York, and was on the return trip home when I broke down in Dekalb Illinois. AAA towed my car to Motor Works. My funds were extremely limited, having just enough for the gas to get home. So when the estimate of repairs came in, totaling just over what i had... Well lets just say that depression sat in. As fair and reasonable the estimate was... I simply did not have the funds to cover it AND make it home. I had no choice but to explain my dilemma to Leslie the service writer, and Mark Huff the Master Mechanic., to see if something can be done. I was at the mercy of these two individuals. I was completely and utterly humbled when Mark came up with a way to get me back to California safely, at a minimal cost. Leslie rewrote the estimate, to which i actually smiled again. I was completely taken aside by the kindness and sincere regard for my situation, shown to me by Mark and Leslie. I truely do not know how i can quite say thank you enough... To leslie.... Thank you... Thank you... Thank you. To Mr Mark Huff (Motor Works masterful gentle giant)... I again say... WE ARE NOT WORTHY !!! I can honestly say that i am looking forward to my next breakdown. Well.... Sort of. Just so long as it happens in Dekalb Illinois, as close to Motor Works as possible. I tip my hat to you all at Motor Works... Sincerely, Doug Trusso San Jose Ca read more

My car died on me in April 2013 and I had it towed here to get it fixed. They put in a brand new alternator with a new battery and I'm now having to get a another new alternator and battery 2.5 years later. Didn't last very long... read more

Great quality service and nice folks, too! Knowledgable techs and fast turnaround times. Check it out!!

Went here to fix a few things that another shop (Midas) had failed to do. The staff was very friendly and was so helpful. Pricing was fair and they made the process so easy. We will definitely be coming back here! read more

I wish I could give this shop a lower rating. They are very overpriced, slow, dishonest, and rude. Do not take your car here. They will rip you off. They will replace things that don't need to be replaced and it will take longer than they said and it will cost more than they said. I couldn't have picked a worse shop. Look elsewhere. They charge dealership prices for their parts but with worse quality. read more

HOME AWAY FROM HOME! Weird to say about an auto repair shop, right? Maybe, but when I found myself in an emergency situation very far from my actual home, Marty and Leslie treated me like their own family. I had just loaded up everything I own from a storage unit in Chicago and was driving home to California when I my rental car broke down just outside of Aurora, IL. I called AAA from the busy shoulder of 80 West and they contacted Motor Works to let them know I needed a tow. Leslie then called me herself just to check up on me and make sure I was safe. Not comfortable with leaving me there alone for the hour long wait for the tow truck, she had a quick talk with the tow truck driver and with Marty (the owner of Motor Works) and arranged a plan to get me off the side of the road. She told me to look out for Marty, who was on his way to pick me up himself. I can honestly say I've never encountered a single auto repair shop in California that would go to such great lengths to look out for a stranded motorist. But Leslie knew I was far from home and jumped right into action. After arranging for the repairs to be done, Marty then arranged a room for me at a nearby hotel, dropped me off for the night and picked me up the next day when the repairs were done. Leslie stayed in contact at all times, keeping me updated on the repairs. Also - I think it's important to note - at no time did any of them give me a hard time for my dumb mistake, from which anybody in the automotive industry would have a difficult time withholding. See, the vehicle and the gas pump were a little bit foreign to me and in my road weariness, I accidentally put diesel fuel in a Dodge Grand Caravan. (I know, I know.) But their awesome mechanic figured out a way to fix my error without removing the gas tank to dump it. They came in $150 under their estimate (a HUGE relief at such a time) and I was on the road again less than 24 hours after Leslie first answered my distress call. My family and I cannot thank you all enough for taking care of me in a time of great vulnerability and need. If any of the Motor Works family are ever in Sacramento, you are welcome in our home any time! THANK YOU! read more

I am a college student and brought my car in January 20th, because I got into a car accident and needed it checked. I was told that I would be called as soon as possible to hear what was wrong. About a week and a half later I still had not heard back from the shop, so I called them. They told me my car needed a new rim and a tire replacement and that they would call me back within the next two days, but never called. I waited two more weeks and finally called them, only to find out that they hadn't even started working on my car yet. They told me it would be done Tuesday, I called and they said Wednesday. I called Wednesday morning and was told I could pick it up Wednesday evening, and then Wednesday evening rolled around and I was told Thursday. I was extremely irritated when on Thursday my car was still not ready. The following Monday, I had a friend drive me to their shop about an hour before they closed and was finally able to pick it up. Because it took over a month for such a minor problem to be fixed, they fixed my brakes for free (which I appreciated), however, less than two weeks later, I noticed that my car still wasn't driving properly. I took it to a mechanic back in my home town where I was told that it had never properly been fixed! I paid an extra 200 dollars to fix a car that should have already been fixed already! Their customer service is extremely poor and waiting over a month for a rim and wheel to be replaced is ridiculous. The shop is very unorganized. I will never go back here again. read more

The Best service this side of Earth! Brought my 1977 VW bus to these guys after reading several VW website recommendations. Told them I needed to ready my bus for a solo cross country trip, and needed it to be in such great condition that I (as a single woman) would have no fear of breakdown along the way. For a vintage bus that's asking a lot. They are a busy shop, so it took awhile but I wasnt in a hurry. Quality and thoroughness were my priorities. They far exceeded my expectations. I dont recall everything they did but off the top, i know they replaced fuel lines, CV boots/joints, alternator rebuild, and other electrical parts, cracked pieces that were part of steering, and so much more, plus the basics, oil change etc. they took photos of everything to show me old vs new. only doing the necessary work. communicating frequently for approval. Then, as if that werent enough...after driving it away and making a 6 hour one-way weekend get-away. I thought I had electrical issues but was out of the country when i notified them and my cross country trip was to begin upon my return. Marty, the owner, drove 2 hours (one-way) to check on the bus, replaced the battery and left the old one for me, without charging me a penny. Have you EVER had service like THAT before? Especially from a garage? I just completed my cross country trip and couldn't be happier! Not one problem the whole way. Perfect performance. That wouldn't be true without Marty and the Crew at Motor Works! Thank you! read more

A couple of years ago, I purchased a 1995 VW EuroVan Camper. This was a project van, one that I wanted to put time and money into, a rather romantic and foolhardy venture, perhaps, but I'd always wanted a pop-top VW. I live in Des Moines, Iowa, and every shop I called refused to work on EuroVans. Too esoteric and temperamental they demurred; too rare and no parts available they complained. So I did a little research and through Roadhaus.com, found this little shop in DeKalb, Illinois. Although DeKalb is over 250 miles from Des Moines, this wasn't much of an issue, at least for this initial overhaul; I planned to give my mechanics time to sort out all the issues and make my EVC roadworthy, so a one-off five hour drive was of little concern. I emailed Motor Works, and Leslie, the service manager suggested I give them a call. I spoke with owner Marty Fay and was immediately won over by his warm demeanor and obvious knowledge. I set up an appointment. When I dropped off the van, Marty showed me files of other project and classic cars he'd worked on. He also showed me the astonishingly voluminous and detailed reports he wrote for his customers, with extensive photographs and notes. This helped to solidify my trust in the man who would have my van for the next year. At the same time, my nephew, who'd come from Chicago to pick up my wife and me asked Marty--as an aside really--about his VW Passat he was having issues with. Marty asked him a few probing questions about the issues he was having. Marty then proceeded to spend an hour with the car, including a half-hour test ride with his protégé Mark and a computer scanner. They came to the conclusion that the transmission was failing. They also fixed a few wayward cables that could have posed immediate problems. For this, Marty asked for no money; just a consideration of further business should he decide to stick with the car and have it repaired. I decided right then to completely trust Marty and give him carte blanche to make all necessary repairs, and take as much time as he needed to do so. Marty had the van a week and sent me a very detailed assessment of the myriad of issues he'd uncovered, with screen shots of his scope tracings of the engine, as well as compression reading. He also included estimates of the various repairs needed to get the motor running smoothly and with proper power. After this, there would be the work on the transmission and other problems. Since he assured me the engine was in excellent condition, I gave him the green light to fix everything. The transmission, the notorious Achilles' heel of the '93-95 EuroVans, was the most problematic repair. It had to be sent to a specialty shop in Chicago, completely stripped down and refurbished, and then sent back to Motor Works then sent back twice more for other issues. For all of this, beyond the cost of a replacement computer, there were no additional labor charges. One last anecdote indicative Marty's bloodhound pursuit of bugbears: There was a mysterious wind noise coming from somewhere in the hood area. Marty spent a good eight hours tracking down the source of the noise, which he eventually found (associated with the new transmission cooler). He charged me for only three hours of labor. Through all of this work, time and again, Marty capped hours, and didn't charge a cent for all his many hours of background research. I feel that Marty might have actually lost money of my little project, and yet he was always suggesting ways he could save me money. Finally, Marty and his concern stay with you after you leave the shop. In two instances, Marty helped me find mechanics to help with problems on the road. Suffice to say, Marty Fay is a consummate mechanic, a true professional who stands behind his work, and an all-round mensch. While I still hope to find a local shop who is willing and able to work on my EVC, I take comfort in knowing Marty Fay, as well as Leslie, Mark and all the other good folks at Motor Works, has my back. read more

Don't get your car done here!!! I stress this because they will keep your car for weeks and not update you about it. They will also break stuff on your car just to charge more money. My estimation went from 100 dollars to 600 because they broke off a bolt in my car. I will never go to them again. I had to keep calling them until the point of making a visit not knowing if my car was done or not. Not to mention they had it for it a week And still was not done. They are ridiculous!!!! read more

Make sure you get an estimate first. document everything said and hope for the best. Labor was over what book said and they seemed to find a way to justify it. If you dont keep calling you will never know whats going on. Picking up car seemed like I was checking out of a hospital. It took forever. Even though they knew I was comming the paperwork wasnt started till i got there. 30 min later and after paying through the nose. I was able to leave with my car. read more

I would NEVER advise anyone to bring their car into this little locally owned shop. I am a young woman who doesn't know much about cars (and haven't had to deal with any car issues on my own ever) and Motor Works completely took advantage of me. They are very nice to your face, but don't be fooled by that. I'll start from the beginning, I was busy with life and work and didn't get around to changing my oil when I should have. This doesn't make me any less credible, I know I should have changed my oil on time and could have avoided a lot of this trouble. my car broke down on me right as I was pulling into work one morning. I was literally pulling into a parking spot and it just died on me and the car wouldn't even turn on at all. That day, after my shift ended, my boyfriend and his dad put oil into my car and it was definitely needed. We used about 3 bottles of oil. It started but sounded HORRIBLE. Lots of rattling around under the hood. I still didn't feel comfortable driving it so I had it towed to a dealership/garage right in town and they looked at the car and told me I needed a new engine and gave me an estimate of $5,000 (for parts and labor). This price seemed wayyyy too steep for me and also they would have put in a brand new engine and I would much prefer a used engine for my car. So, I was unsure of what to do with my car because it's not in perfect condition and I haven't been bringing it into a mechanic regularly to be checked so I figured I should just go ahead and get another used car for myself. Well, I wasn't having any luck with that and friends and family tried to convince me that my car was still in decent condition so I went ahead and have the car looked at again. The first step was to just try to get an oil change. I got some advise that maybe a synthetic oil change would do my car some good. So I decided to take it to Motor Works because it was close to my house and they have been in business for 30 years so I figured they had to be credible. You have no idea how wrong I was. When I took it in, a young man changed my oil and told me that my engine was leaking oil and that the oil change was pretty much pointless. They still made me pay for the oil change. They proceeded to print out a page of other things wrong with my car (Plugs showing wear, passenger rear shocks leaking, rear spring mounts rusty, the leak is from the timing cover, and the belt is cracked) and VERY quickly explained what all that meant. SO The lady at the front desk told me that my options were to get a new timing chain (or belt). I had to think about what I wanted to do but I ended up calling her and setting up an appointment to bring it in to proceed with that they had told me when I got my oil changed. She told me it was probably going to cost $450 and at the worst case scenario $850. I was told to bring in my car at 8:00 AM on a Wednesday. They told me they would call me after a mechanic had looked at the car and where we should go from there. Around noon I called and they hadn't even begun to work on it. Around 4:00 that afternoon they still hadn't called me to report on what was going on. I stopped in the shop and was told I needed a new timing chain and they showed me the damaged goods on my car and everything. Now, around this time they probably knew I needed a new engine put into my car. They told me they were going to go ahead and order a new timing chain and replace the old one. I didn't know that most likely there was internal damage done to the engine. I was told they were going to be working on it until that Friday and to call them at noon to see how it was. I was working that Friday until 4:00 PM and couldn't call them until I got off work. I called around 4:30. I was then told after they had replaced the timing chain that they realized I had internal damage done to the engine and It was beyond repair. How that woman thought that it wasn't necessary to call me and tell me my car was pretty much totaled is beyond me. Totally unprofessional and disrespectful. They told me they would look around for a used engine and install in for "a couple grand" and "reduce the price" on what I owed for the timing chain. The timing chain was a completely pointless repair and did nothing considering the engine is completely beyond repair and needs to be replaced. They knew that and are just trying to take as much money as they can from me. My car is still sitting in their lot and I'm hoping to get it this week to have someone else look at it. read more

I only sent a vehicle to a mechanic only when I need to get it diagnosed , they seem to do a good job but they are slow , I wouldn't recommend if you only have 1 vehicle. I have waited 3 days to get a idle air control valve put in read more

I needed an oil change for my car, and had a coupon for this place, so I decided to give it a try. I found the receptionist to be very informal and almost rude. As I was paying my bill, she scorned me on the things that were "wrong" with my car and told me not to put anymore money into it, because it wasn't worth it. I personally don't think it is her, or anyone else place to tell me how to spend my money. I'm glad to have gotten a good deal, but I wont be going back to them again, nor will I ever recommend them. I'm sure the mechanics do a fine job but the customer service is what pushed me away! read more

This place is outstanding!!! I slowly put into their parking lot with my mess of a car and get met with rapid service and smiling faces! Leslie and all the techs there are phenomenal! They helped me figure out a way to pay for the substantial repairs (as I am a poor college student), show me everything wrong, kept me up to date with photos and such via email since I was too busy working, told me when to call for more updates and overall made the whole experience smooth and easy! When I told them that my dealership was of no help (even though the car was only purchased no more than a year ago), Leslie immediately stepped up to the plate and decided to call the dealership on my behalf to see what she could get done! The customer service here is second to none! I will be coming back for all my car repair needs as long as I live in the state of Illinois and I'll make sure to recommend them to friends and family! read more